


I'm not alone anymore (This love's unconditional)

by DelightfulDonuts



Series: Steve, Bucky & Sandy [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bisexual Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, Established Relationship, Family, Fluff, Gay Bucky Barnes, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Fic, M/M, One Shot, Original Character(s), Panic Attacks, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Teacher!Steve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:20:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25056112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DelightfulDonuts/pseuds/DelightfulDonuts
Summary: Bucky just wanted to suprise his husband at work but it didn't quite turn out like he thought it would. It was a surprise nonetheless.Featuring obnoxious coworkers (with a good heart), ignorant moms and your favorite supersoldier couple.Trigger warning for PTSD & panic attacks. Nothing explicit.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: Steve, Bucky & Sandy [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1817341
Comments: 2
Kudos: 149





	I'm not alone anymore (This love's unconditional)

**Author's Note:**

> So I haven't really been writing anything for the past 6 years but this story got stuck in my head and I wanted to try writing it out.
> 
> English is not my first language and this story is unbeta'ed.
> 
> Feel free to leave your comments, hope you enjoy.
> 
> Title from Freya Ridings - Unconditional

It's not even the first time he went to Steve's school. 

He had been here so many times before, knew the layout of the school and the playground, knew all the possible escapes and blind spots. 

He had picked Steve and Sandy up many times before, without any trouble. 

Sandy always ran straight towards him when she spotted him waiting next to the car, like she hadn't seen him in weeks.

Bucky never really understood this as Sandy was in Steve's class so she had one of her dads with her the entire day, but it didn't make him less happy to see his little girl.

\- 

It hadn't been easy to adopt a child, with Bucky being an ex-brainwashed assassin and Steve the superhero with the dangerous occupation. 

It had taken them two years after they were able to persuade the adoption agency that they were fit enough to be parents. And maybe Tony had had a hand in the persuasion but they didn't really talk about that. What mattered was that they had their girl now, and they were happy. 

Sandy had been only three months old when she was placed in their home. 

The first few weeks had been hard. They knew accepting a baby in your life is a big change for everyone, but with Bucky's added mental problems and Steve's busy work schedule it had been a challenging experience.

Some nights when Sandy woke the men up with her crying, Bucky's PTSD affected brain could not understand that it was a little infant calling out to be fed, held or changed.

More than once Bucky shot into panic when he heard the wailing of their daughter.

Through years of experience Steve had built up a pretty good system that would calm his husband down, but that didn't make the panic attacks any less tiring for the both of them.

Fortunately the ex-assassin had never hurt their child in one of these moments, like Bucky himself had feared beforehand. Steve never doubted the love of his life for one moment but Bucky wasn't that easily convinced.

\- 

Two years after Sandy had settled into the Barnes-Rogers household, Steve had said goodbye to his shield and suit for good and was now working as a part time teacher at the local primary school. The days he wasn't working he would spend drawing at home. He didn't need the money anyway.

They had moved out of Stark Tower long before they adopted Sandy. Bucky needed a place that was his own, where there weren't AI's constantly tracking everything and where he could recover and built a new life.

The small apartment they lived in now was humble, but met all their needs. They had decorated it partly in 1940's style, partly modern. Perfectly resembling their personalities.

\- 

In hindsight Bucky realized that maybe it wasn't such a good plan, but right now he just wanted to see his husband and his little girl. The therapy session had been intense and he was emotionally drained. 

He had picked up Steve and Sandy many times before, usually waiting by the car at the car park just around the corner from the school.

Only today was not a Friday, the day he usually drives his family back home. The other days Steve and Sandy took the bus home.

He had forgotten his phone at home so was unable to text Steve he was coming to get them. He could not risk Steve walking the other way, to the bus stop, so thought, in his tired mind, that it was a good idea to walk up to the gate and wait for them there.

That was the first mistake.

The street wasn't even that busy. He had made it to the school gate in no time.

The trouble started when he walked onto the playground. 

He had forgotten that year 5 had been on a school trip today. Steve had told him all about it this morning, even though he didn't even teach that class. The other teachers, especially Tanya (who was one of Steve's best friends, but could also be a huge pain in the ass), had complained about the trip all week. "I cannot keep 30 kids in line all by myself, Steve, please free me of this misery and come with?" Tanya had begged the former Captain. 

Steve, of course, had his own class to teach and had politely declined. (Besides, Tanya was probably exaggerating and just wanted Steve to tag along because she had a crush on him. How did she still not see all the hints that he wasn't interested? He wore a weddingring for crying out loud)

The playground was packed with hyperactive children and twice as much parents as there usually were. 

It didn't help that everyone was shouting.

Bucky tried to do his usual scan of his surroundings, locating all the escape routes and blind spots and deciding which spot was the safest to wait. He was still fifteen minutes early anyway.

Through the crowd of running, jumping children he could not see clearly. 

His mind short circuited.

Everything was happening at the same time. He couldn't hear, couldn't see, couldn't _feel_ (stupid fake left arm) what was happening around him.

His left arm was twitching. The assassin part in him wanted the arm to fight, but the healthy, almost recovered part of his brain held it back.

Was some one talking? He could vaguely see a shadow hovering over him. He shot up to defend himself, putting his arms defensively up in front of him, unable do distinguish good from evil.

His mind was chaos. 

-

Steve had had a relatively peaceful day. With the year 5 students gone for the day the school had been quieter than normal.

A quick look on his watch told him that there were only 8 minutes left till the bell would ring.

Although quiet, the day had been tiring and he had resorted in having the kids watch some educational television show about counting or colors or something. He wasn't really paying attention as he was putting away the last of today's used arts & crafts materials. 

"Mr. Rogers?"

He turned around to see Louise Anderson, Patrick's mom, standing awkwardly in the door opening. Steve absolutely adored Patrick, he was the sweetest kid in his class (apart from Sandy of course), always helping out others. The kid must have a real sweet father, because he certainly didn't inherit the politeness from his mother. Steve couldn't count the amount of times she had made a homophobic, racist or other wise ignorant comment to him or even to his students. 

"It's Mister Rogers-Barnes now miss Anderson."

"Yes, right, I am sor... well." Steve had not expected this timidity in her voice. She was usually very outspoken.

"Mister Rogers.." (Steve mentally rolled his eyes) "Erm.. there is a man outside."

This alerted Steve slightly. They had had trouble with, well, "unwanted visitors" on their schoolyard before. That is why they had put up a gate around the property and had put a system in place to ensure that there was always one teacher standing guard near the gate. He was pretty sure Madelynn was on duty today and though she was small, she was stern and scary. She had never had trouble keeping uninvited guests out. 

Trying not to let it faze him, he turned his body towards Louise. "I am sure there are plenty of men outside miss Anderson, year 5 had their school trip today and we have asked their parents to come get them from school at 4. Which is.." He turned his wrist upwards once again "Right now."

"Yes, I understand Mister Rogers, but I don't think this man is here to collect his child. He is dressed really odd in all dark clothes and he has long hair and frankly he just looks really scary and I think I could even see the outline of a gun under his shirt and he was looking around and talking to himself and, and..."

Not wanting Louise to ramble on much longer, Steve stepped in. "Okay calm down miss Anderson, I am sure this is all just a big misunderstanding." 

Steve calmly turned towards the children, planning to wait just the few more minutes until the bell would ring. After all the kids were gone he would go out and prove to miss Anderson that there was nothing to be worried about.

"No, sir, I don't think you understand. I think he was having some sort of episode, or maybe he was possessed, yeah, I am sure he was possessed, he must have been punished by God for being a pedophile" (honestly, how such a woman could produce such a sweet son would always be a mystery to Steve) "He keeps walking along the fence and muttering to himself and his metal hand keeps forming a fist and I am scared he will hurt the children. Please Mister Rogers, weren't you Captain United States or something?" 

Steve doesn't even hear her say "Captain United States". 

Metal hand. She said metal hand.

He only knows one person with a metal hand.

Bucky.

\- 

Bucky could feel the crowd of people forming around him. No one dared to come within six feet of him, but they all stared at him, he could feel it. 

His eyes were clenched shut and his hands were alternating between fists and claws. 

He did not realize that he had been walking back and forth along the fence. He had come to a standstill as more and more people had gathered around him. 

He could not think straight, could not see clearly, could still not make out what all the people were saying. 

His mind was stuck on an endless loop of "Protect Steve, Protect Sandy, fight, defend, attack."

\- 

Steve could not get outside quick enough.

He is pretty sure he shouted something to Louise along the lines of "Watch the kids" but he can't really remember.

All he knows is that once he and Sandy are outside (did he grab her? Did she follow him? Doesn't matter, she is here now) he quickly scans the playground only to see the large crowd gathered near the gate. 

He lifts Sandy up in his arms and holds her close, guiding the two of them trough the thick crowd of worrying people.

He was right. 

Bucky is there, on the ground, back against the gate, eyes closed and fists clenched.

Steve kneels beside him, setting Sandy back on her own feet. 

"Buck, it's me, Steve. You're okay, you're safe, we're safe. We are both here, look Sandy is here too. You are in Brooklyn, it's 2020, you are Bucky, you are not in danger."

"...Stevie?"

"Yeah Buck, I'm here, come back to me, open your eyes darling."

The oh so familiar bright blue eyes open and look up. There is sadness, but also peace. Bucky recognises him. (that isn't always the case, sometimes Bucky is too far gone in his thoughts)

"Stevie, I thought... oh." 

A tiny voice breaks through the still prominent swamp of voices.

It's Sandy

"Daddy?"

And that is all it takes for Bucky's shoulders to lose all their tension. Steve had never seen him relax so easily.

"I'm okay honey, don't be sad." Bucky manages to say in a still shaky voice.

Only then does Steve realize that Sandy has been crying. How could he not have seen that? Wait, is he..? Okay they are all crying. He was too wrapped up in his concern for his husband to feel his own tears. 

Before he knows it all three of them are gathered in a hug. 

\- 

When they get home they cuddle on the couch for the entire rest of the day. Bucky had Steve cook Sandy's favorite dish ("I had a panic attack in front of fifty people, Steve, I think I have done enough today"). They don't speak about what happened at school, but Steve knows Sandy is smart and knows exactly what happened.

-

The next day at school, Tanya apologizes for all the flirting and declares she has always wanted a "gay best friend". Steve rolls his eyes and doesn't correct her on the fact that he is actually bisexual, not gay. But he loves her, really.

-

Bucky never comes by unannounced again but he does make a habit out of picking Steve and Sandy up by the gate. (outside the gate that is, one panic attack in front of fifty people is enough, thank you very much) 

-

Three weeks later, Louise Anderson finally calls Steve "Mister Rogers-Barnes".

-

Life is good.


End file.
